G4S sells Israeli business but should ‘leave Israeli market entirely’

2 December 2016 - 11:30am

Press release

Responding to news that G4S, the world's largest security company, has reached an agreement on the sale of its Israeli business, Ryvka Barnard, Senior Militarism and Security Campaigner at War on Want, said:

"G4S has long profited from Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, its decision to sell its Israeli business shows that our boycott and divestment campaigns work.

"G4S was servicing Israeli prisons where 7,000 Palestinian political prisoners are detained, and where torture and ill-treatment is rampant. The detention and treatment of these prisoners breaks international law and amounts to war crimes. This is the reality we highlighted in our campaign, and it remains today. It is no wonder that G4S felt the pressure to sell.

"However, G4S remains complicit in human rights abuses through its ownership and investment in the Israeli police academy. If G4S was concerned about human rights, it would leave the Israeli market entirely, as other businesses such as Veolia, Orange, and CRH have done."

Notes to editors

For more information or interviews, contact Ross Hemingway on +44 7983 550728